Democrats closer to controlling Congress after tight Georgia runoffs

One Democratic candidate in Georgia’s twin Senate runoff elections was projected the winner over his Republican opponent, while the other Democratic hopeful held a narrow lead, as the final votes in the southern state were being tallied early Wednesday.

EU agency green-lights Moderna Covid-19 vaccine as pressure mounts

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended the conditional market authorization of the Covid-19 vaccine produced by US firm Moderna, as frustration grows over the pace of vaccination campaigns in EU countries.

Julian Assange denied bail

A British judge on Wednesday denied WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange bail as he challenges a US extradition request in the courts.

England goes into new lockdown as COVID-19 variant rampages

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered England into a new national lockdown to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases that threatens to overwhelm parts of the health system before a vaccine programme reaches a critical mass.

Breakthrough reached in Gulf dispute with Qatar

A breakthrough has been reached in Qatar’s three-year-old dispute with Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries and an agreement aimed at ending their rift is to be signed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a senior Trump administration official said.

Members of Congress call on FBI to open criminal probe into Trump

Two Democratic members of the US House of Representatives on Monday requested that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) open a criminal probe into Donald Trump for pressuring officials to overturn the presidential election results.

Trump’s attempts to overturn Georgia ‘bold abuse of power’: Harris

US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris described outgoing president Donald Trump’s efforts to have election results in the state of Georgia overturned, a “bald-faced, bold abuse of power”.

UK judge rejects extraditing Assange to US

A British judge ruled on Monday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges including breaking a spying law, saying his mental health problems meant he would be at risk of suicide.

Iran begins enriching uranium up to 20 per cent

Iran has begun enriching uranium up to 20 per cent, says government spokesperson Ali Rabiei, far outside the 3.67-per-cent limit set in the 2015 nuclear deal.

Germany poised to extend coronavirus lockdown

Germany is likely to extend a national lockdown beyond Jan. 10 to curb coronavirus infection rates that are still running high and putting huge strains on hospitals and health workers, politicians said at the weekend.

11 Republican senators to challenge Biden’s presidential election win

A group of 11 Republican senators and senators-elect on Saturday said that they intend to appeal the upcoming certification of the results of the presidential election.

Tougher virus measures possible in coming weeks: Johnson

Tougher coronavirus measures could be implemented in coming weeks in view of the serious situation in Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted in an interview on Sunday.

Britain finalizes Brexit divorce by leaving EU single market

Britain has left the European Union’s internal market and customs union, finalizing the Brexit divorce.

US vaccinations in 2020 fall far short of target of 20 million people

Only about 2.8 million Americans had received a COVID-19 vaccine going into the last day of December, putting the United States far short of the government’s target to vaccinate 20 million people this month. Shots are reaching nursing home residents at an even slower pace than others first in line even though they are most at risk of dying of the virus.

Pope calls for peace in New Year message

Pope Francis reappeared on Friday after chronic sciatic pain forced him to miss the Church’s New Year services, and made no mention of his ailment as he delivered his traditional appeal for world peace.

Merkel urges social cohesion as pandemic rages on into 2021

German Chancellor Angela Merkel used her traditional New Year’s Day address to appeal for social cohesion in the struggle against the pandemic, even as hope dawns in the form of vaccines.

Venezuelan Supreme Court rules out opposition bid to extend term

Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Wednesday declared a move by the opposition-controlled National Assembly to extend its term into next year invalid.

Fauci sees US gaining control over pandemic by next autumn

The leading U.S. infectious disease specialist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said on Wednesday he foresees America achieving enough collective COVID-19 immunity through vaccinations to regain “some semblance of normality” by autumn 2021, despite early setbacks in the vaccine rollout.

UK rolls out Astra/Oxford COVID vaccine after world-first approval

Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, hoping that rapid action would help it stem a surge of infections driven by a highly contagious variant of the virus.

India finds six cases of new virus variant

India has found six cases of a more infectious strain of the coronavirus, which has prompted border closures around the world, in people arriving from Britain and will likely extend a flight ban to guard against it, officials said on Tuesday.

U.S. House overrides Trump’s veto of key defense bill

The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives voted on Monday to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a $740 billion defense policy bill, a rebuke that underscored divisions in the Republican Party during Trump’s final weeks in office.

EU criticises China for jailing citizen-journalist who reported on COVID

The European Union on Tuesday criticised the jailing of a citizen-journalist in China who reported on the early outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic from Wuhan.

After Trump backs down on stimulus bill, lawmakers set to vote on higher relief checks

Democrats in the U.S. Congress on Monday will try to push through higher pandemic relief payments of $2,000 for Americans after President Donald Trump backed down from a fight with lawmakers that could have shut down the federal government.

US bolsters support for Taiwan and Tibet, angering China

China expressed anger on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law measures to further bolster support for Taiwan and Tibet, which had been included in a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package.

Saudi court jails women’s rights activist

A Saudi court on Monday sentenced prominent women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to five years and eight months in prison, her family and media said, after her conviction in a trial that has drawn international condemnation.

Covid-19 pandemic will not be the last: WHO chief

The coronavirus crisis will not be the last pandemic, and attempts to improve human health are “doomed” without tackling climate change and animal welfare, the World Health Organization’s chief said.

Protests keep up against Israeli PM as new election looms

Hundreds of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, calling on the long-serving leader to resign just days after the country was plunged into a new national election.

Canada’s Ontario reports two people infected with new Covid-19 strain

Ontario health authorities on Saturday said they detected Canada’s first cases of the new strain of the coronavirus recently discovered in Britain, believed to be more contagious.

EU ambassadors begin reviewing post-Brexit trade deal

The 27 EU ambassadors are convening in Brussels on Friday morning to start reviewing the new post-Brexit trade deal, a spokesperson for the German EU presidency said.

Modi calls farmer protests over contested laws politically motivated

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that protests by farmers against three laws brought by his government were politically motivated, as he touted the success of an agricultural scheme launched last year.